CC & Fire HD .... ?

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

I use CC and never have to have my computer on to fetch a book since all my books are on my tablet. Since you choose to go the Dropbox route you might give Calibre Cloud a try, a nice interface and search.

I will look for calibre cloud thanks [UPDATE: that looks to be exacly what I need, as I already have the entire library on dropbox . I am grabbing that from google store & will get it onto the Kindle via the downloader link I posted before ]

I considered the "put all books on tablet" option but could not see how to then keep the tablet library in sync with my main PC calibre library; because If I change any covers, metadata , tags etc I do all that via the PC. so I figured just have what I am actually reading on the tablet, & let the library live only on PC, with it's regular backup to a drop box folder ( using freefile sync to one-way sync my calibre library into my local dropbox folder

UPDATE 2 - so I got the free version of calibre cloud onto kindle & it is just what I needed. Very nice app.

But once again, I find that I can't do the "right thing" and actaully buy the pro version for Kindle - because it is not in Amazon store & my via-google trick does not work for paid apps.
What a strange world it is when you are blocked from supporting the devloped by making a legal purchase onto the device of your choice

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by cybmole

I considered the "put all books on tablet" option but could not see how to then keep the tablet library in sync with my main PC calibre library; because If I change any covers, metadata , tags etc I do all that via the PC.

Simply connecting calibre to your device via CC automatically syncs the metadata (including covers, tags, custom columns) to your tablet. And to ensure my tablet stays current I eject using the Smart eject plugin. This plugin will let me know what books are in calibre that are not on my device and allow me to send the books prior to ejecting the device.

Originally Posted by cybmole

UPDATE 2 - so I got the free version of calibre cloud onto kindle & it is just what I needed. Very nice app.

It is a nice app. I don't use it because I have 20% of my library still waiting for me to fine tune the covers, metadata etc... I don't see these books using CC but calibre cloud doesn't allow limiting to a virtual library so I end up with a bunch of unpolished books showing up. Still it is a nice app with a fast search.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by cybmole

I considered the "put all books on tablet" option but could not see how to then keep the tablet library in sync with my main PC calibre library; because If I change any covers, metadata , tags etc I do all that via the PC. so I figured just have what I am actually reading on the tablet, & let the library live only on PC, with it's regular backup to a drop box folder ( using freefile sync to one-way sync my calibre library into my local dropbox folder

Although you have already solved your problem ...

What you describe as a problem is precisely what CC does best, maintaining consistency of metadata. When you connect as a wireless device, CC and calibre cooperate to update the metadata in CC's database.

You might want to think about how metadata is maintained in calibre and, in particular, when it is updated in books. Changing metadata in calibre does not update anything in a book unless you do something special (polish, reconvert, etc). Because of this, a downloaded book will very often not have the latest metadata, so the reader/library organizer app won't have it either. The same thing is true of covers. If you change the cover in calibre, that cover is not automatically put into the books.

Because CC uses calibre's metadata and covers instead of what is in the book it does not suffer from this limitation. What you see in CC is what was in calibre as of the last wireless device connection. No matter how many books you have on your device (within reason, for example many thousands), you can be confident that all your changes in calibre will be automatically sent to CC when you connect.

If in addition to metadata you also change/edit books then you can use the reading list plugin to auto-sync the books to your device. Also, we are considering adding book auto-sync to CC. Both mechanisms have the advantage that they use calibre's device subsystem to send the books, which tries to update metadata in the book.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by cybmole

Try the free kobo app. Use this to get the installer from google play store:
http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/

You can get any of the free reader apps via that & they all work on HDX,

Useful link, thanks.

[cybmole]

I have just bout CC for KF hDX from amazon & can't get it to work :-(

I enable wireless conenction inlatst version of calibre. but CC is not seeing it. I allow firewall +private network option.

I try setting the fixed IP & port in CC - no joy.

does the PC hosting calibre have to have a wifi card ? This PC is eithernet connected to router, it's my router that does the wi-fi - not the PC - is that a shopstopper or a red-herring ?

[cybmole]

update - well now it IS working but its not obvious why.
I restarted Calibre, I tried using content server instead of / as well as wireless - no joy.

then I changed all the CC settings back to default, tried to connect again, & this time it found calibre OK.

somewhere along the line I also enabled Calbre in win 7 firewall to use public networks ( but that''s an unnecesssary security risk surely, as I on'y want it to work on my home network. It was already allowed thru firewall for private networks & has always worked fine for metadata downloads ?

maybe these wireless connections just need to be left alone for a few minutes to make friends ???
anyway, best quit fiddling while I'm winning I guess... maybe not - I've only so far managed to connect as wireless devie, I still need to solve how to connect to content server - hey ho...

[chaley]

Originally Posted by cybmole

update - well now it IS working but its not obvious why.
I restarted Calibre, I tried using content server instead of / as well as wireless - no joy.

then I changed all the CC settings back to default, tried to connect again, & this time it found calibre OK.

This isn't uncommon. Sometimes the attempts to make CC work can result in wrong information being put in CC. Equally probable is that the PC got a new IP address when you rebooted it.

somewhere along the line I also enabled Calbre in win 7 firewall to use public networks ( but that''s an unnecesssary security risk surely, as I on'y want it to work on my home network. It was already allowed thru firewall for priveate networks & has always worked fine for metadata downloads ?

This is what I was going to enquire about from your last post. Did you check the "Network location type" in windows? From the CC FAQ:

If the computer running calibre is running Windows, verify that the "Network Location" you are connected to is not "Public", but is instead "Home" or (on Windows 7) "Work". If the network location is Public then your device will not be able to connect to calibre. The tutorial Simple Questions: What are Network Locations in Windows 7 & Windows 8? might help verify and, if necessary, change the setting.

The fact that CC connected when calibre was allowed on public networks implies that your network location is not "Home".

maybe these wireless connections just need to be left alone for a few minutes to make friends ???
anyway, best quit fiddling while I@m winning I guess...

There shouldn't be any significant delay, but as I don't know your network setup I can't be 100% sure.

If you are going to play more, especially with network location, then I suggest you change one thing at a time so you know what to change back.

EDIT: and welcome to CC.

[cybmole]

no to the PC IP address theory- that uses a reserved IP in the router so it is always 192.168.0.9 & anyway I did not reboot the PC.

I tried default, then I tired explicitly setting that + the 9090 port then I reverted to use defaults adn on that 3rd try it all worked.

but my 1st try with CC was before I realised hat I needed to enable the connection in calibre so maybe that confused things.

my PCs are all set to "home" network, in the Win 7 network choices.

woudl you neormally expct calibre to need a restart at some poit in the process or should it just work without a restaert as soon as you enable the conenct options ?

but hey it works now, I fured content server - its just disconent from wireless devie, connect to content servier instead.

then once the book is on the KF, I open the kobo app & import.

I am now tring to find why the Kobo app also sees various other odd books to import, probably left overs from dabbling with other reading apps, but they are a pain to find & remove on the tablet when you don't know where they are stored. . so I now have it connected to PC & am using windows to tidy up files & foldes that way.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by cybmole

no to the PC IP address theory- that uses a reserved IP in the router so it is always 192.168.0.9 & anyway I did not reboot the PC.

I tried default, then I tired explicitly setting that + the 9090 port then I reverted to use defaults adn on that 3rd try it all worked.

but my 1st try with CC was before I realised hat I needed to enable the connection in calibre so maybe that confused things.

That could do it.

woudl you neormally expct calibre to need a restart at some poit in the process or should it just work without a restaert as soon as you enable the conenct options ?

My experience is that a calibre restart isn't needed, but that doesn't mean that you would see the same thing. For example, your AV and firewall could make decisions based on one configuration, needed a restart. Who knows. Because of bots and the like, networking security is a black art.

then once the book is on the KF, I open the kobo app & import.

Is the import really necessary? What happens if you use CC's Read function (long press on book or go to book details and select "Read")? I would try it myself but I don't yet have my Fire HD.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by chaley

networking security is a black art.


SO TRUE >



Is the import really necessary? What happens if you use CC's Read function (long press on book or go to book details and select "Read")? I would try it myself but I don't yet have my Fire HD.

the Kobo app works in it's own sweet way. It will not simply opn an epub, and in fact you cannot register it in asndroid as an epub handler even. It needs to import the books into itos own database befroe you can read them, so you have to launch the KObo app, then select import books& let it scan, then tell it what to add.

the Kobo app is trying to give a full Kobo experience, - with shop, library, books, comics, magazines, reading stats, recommendations - all the bslls & whistles of a dedicated Kobo reader. I't won't play at all until you sign up or sign in to a Kobo account.

but it IS an excellent epub reader once you get past all of that

you could test how CC talks to the Kobo app via any android device that can run that app, it does not need to be a Kindle- but I suspect the app has a single front door & you cannot work around needing the import step

I think your read option will fire up an app that is file associated for epub - and it is possible to side -load various free ones that can do that.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by cybmole

you could test how CC talks to the Kobo app via any android device that can run that app, it does not need to be a Kindle- but I suspect the app has a single front door & you cannot work around needing the import step

True, but there is some chance that it will work differently on an Amazon device. They have changed Android somewhat.

I think your read option will fire up an app that is file associated for epub - and it is possible to side -load various free ones that can do that.

That is exactly what it does. It asks Android for all the apps that claim to support the format in question (epub in this case) then gives you the choice between them.

I have tried personally Moon+, FBReader, Mantano Lite, and Cool Reader, all of which play nicely with CC. I use Moon+ Pro, mostly for its ability to sync reading positions over dropbox (I use multiple devices). My second choice is FBReader. I am sure that there are other apps out there.

Kindle for Android can be launched by CC but cannot be told to open a book. Apparently Kindle for Kindle advertizes that it can handle .mobi but nothing else (no azw3, etc). Aldiko requires an import, according to feedback can get confused if the book is resent, and plays with CC best if its import folder is used as CC's library folder. Your description of the Kobo app indicates that it is similar to Aldiko, perhaps without the confusion. All of these apps reduce the utility of CC because they almost force you into using their book organizer, meaning that you don't get the benefits of updated metadata from calibre or CC's grouping functions.

[cybmole]

to b honest - I din't really need all the clever features of your app, because of how the Kobo app works, but amazon local are giving away a £2 app voucher today so, trusting that you get paid still! , I bought a copy to experiment with.

the free £2 voucher may be UK only - but here's the link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/local/London-wide/B00JPFAE5C

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by chaley

You might want to think about how metadata is maintained in calibre and, in particular, when it is updated in books. Changing metadata in calibre does not update anything in a book unless you do something special (polish, reconvert, etc). Because of this, a downloaded book will very often not have the latest metadata, so the reader/library organizer app won't have it either. The same thing is true of covers. If you change the cover in calibre, that cover is not automatically put into the books.

Emphasis mine. So, this tells me I've missed something in Calibre that I should know how to do: "polish". I know about re-converting, and I've resorted to it when I had to, but I don't think I've ever seen anything about polishing a book. I'd love to find a solution that allows me to not have to reconvert to fix a books metadata, cover, etc., in the book.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by cybmole

no to the PC IP address theory- that uses a reserved IP in the router so it is always 192.168.0.9 & anyway I did not reboot the PC.

I tried default, then I tired explicitly setting that + the 9090 port then I reverted to use defaults adn on that 3rd try it all worked.

but my 1st try with CC was before I realised hat I needed to enable the connection in calibre so maybe that confused things.

my PCs are all set to "home" network, in the Win 7 network choices.

woudl you neormally expct calibre to need a restart at some poit in the process or should it just work without a restaert as soon as you enable the conenct options ?

but hey it works now, I fured content server - its just disconent from wireless devie, connect to content servier instead.

then once the book is on the KF, I open the kobo app & import.

I am now tring to find why the Kobo app also sees various other odd books to import, probably left overs from dabbling with other reading apps, but they are a pain to find & remove on the tablet when you don't know where they are stored. . so I now have it connected to PC & am using windows to tidy up files & foldes that way.

For those running Windows 8 and above, the fix for network location is pretty simple -- PowerShell has the Set-NetConnectionProfile cmdlet. A lot simpler than trying to poke around in the GUI to find and force it to private. Exact steps are on my Blog. It says Windows 8.1, but I've verified it works in 8.0 as well. Sorry, it doesn't work in Vista or Win7, the cmdlet hadn't been added yet.

[cybmole]

clarify the network location issues for where calibre is on a Windows 7 PC please, with CC on a wi-fi tablet. please.

hre's what I think I know:

Win 7 has the concepts of home, work & public networks. ( + workgroups, but let not go there ! ). Both home & work are also called private networks in windows speak.

the firewall options for a program (calibre) are block: allow on private, allow on public..
that seems to create a 3 x 3 grid of possibilities .

A virgin install of calibre will default to: allowed out through firewall ( not sure if that is for public or for private only) , and connect/share in calibre will default to off. So that has to be explicit configured, before trying to connect with CC ?

( not sure what windows UAC adds to the party as I don't use that , & I guess a virgin WIn 7 install does not like incoming network connections unless password protection for that is disabled )

so which are the winniing combinations & which are the fails .
calibre blocked in firewall is an obvious fail so we are now down to 6 contenders ?

I think you are saying pubic networks is also a fail ? ....